Roulette wheel device



NOV. 1, 1955 R J GAZELLE 2,722,425

ROULETTE WHEEL DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

F "7 4 "7 5 ROLLAQIVD J. GAZELLE.

A 7'TaR us v Nov. 1, 1955 R. J. GAZELLE 2,722,425

ROULETTE WHEEL DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet s IN VEN TOR. faguyvp J. 6426445.

United States Patent 1 2,122,425 ROULETTE WHEEL DEVICE Rolland J. Gazelle, Detroit, Mich., assignor of one-half to Walter T. Anderson, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 4, 1952, Serial No. 307,839 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-142) This invention relates to a game and a game apparatus, and more particularly to a game board with certain configurations thereon together with discs of two different colors and a roulette wheel.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved backgammon game which omits the use of dice and substitutes therefor a roulette wheel.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a novel game board which may be compactly folded for storage if desired.

It is the further object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for a backgammon game wherein the roulette wheel is housed and journaled within a hollow compact carrying case which is of such dimension as to receive therein the discs and a folded game board.

It is the further object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified game apparatus which is particularly attractive and which provides an increased interest in the game of backgammon.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the unfolded game board.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing its method of folding.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view or" the completely folded game board.

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of the roulette wheel.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of one of the men or discs used.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view thereof.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of an opened compact carrying case with the roulette wheel mounted therein.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the closed carrying case; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary partially broken away side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 12 is similar to Fig. 4 showing a different roulette wheel.

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 1313 of Fig. 12.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely preferred embodiments of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

The present backgammon game is played by two persons, with a roulette wheel 12, upon a board 13 on which are figured twenty-four points of two colors, such as red and black for illustration, and designated by the substantially triangularly shaped portions 15 and 16 designating the two colors, and there being twenty-four of said boxes corresponding to the twenty-four points.

Circular discs 14 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, called men, of two different colors, such as red and white for illustration, are employed upon the board and are moved by the two players in opposite directions from one triangular box to another in the manner hereafter set forth, and in accordance with the two numbers designated by the roulette wheel 12 shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The board is divided into four compartments, i. e., the two inner compartments 17 and 20, and the two outer compartments 18 and 19, it being contemplated that there be a player on oppositesides of said board.

2,722,425 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 These compartments are also called inner tables 17 and and corresponding outer tables 18 and 20.

Compartments 19 and 20 in the present embodiment, have a flexible cloth hinge 21 for illustration therebetween along one of their corresponding longitudinal edges to permit relative folding as shown in Fig. 2. Compartments 17 and 20 have a flexible cloth hinge 22 between their adjacent longitudinal edges to permit relative folding as shown in Fig. 2; and similarly compartments 18 and 19 have a flexible hinge 23 along one of their adjacent edges to permit the relative folding shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 illustrates the board when completely folded to thereby occupy the minimum of storage space. While the present drawing illustrates that the four sections may be folded into quarter size, it is contemplated that the present invention could be utilized with a rigid board instead.

It will be noted that each of the compartments 17, 18, 19 and 20 contain six of the twenty-four points in alternating colors as indicated at 15 and 16. The two players are each furnished fifteen of the men 14, all of one of two colors (red and white for illustration herein). The game consists in each player moving his respective men from point-to-point, alternately, depending upon the indication of the roulette wheel hereafter described, so as to bring the men around the board and into the players own inner table; and then on successive and alternate indications of the roulette wheel bearing these men off the board. The player who first clears off his men wins the game.

As shown in Fig. 1, there is an elongated space 24 between compartments 17 and 18, which thereby permits the relative folding of the compartments into compact arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

The roulette wheel employed herein includes a base 25 having an upright standard 26 mounted thereon with said standard having at its lower end a threaded extension 27, which threadedly engages base 25.

Bolt 28 with head 29 extends transversely through the upper end of standard 26 and has rotatably journaled thereon roulette wheel 31 having a plurality of spokes 32 radiating from a central hub, which is apertured to receive said bolt. Spacer is mounted on bolt 38 and is interposed between said wheel and standard 26. The bolt 28 at a short distance between the outer edge of the wheel hub terminates in a threaded extension 33 of reduced diameter defining a shoulder against which is positioned the pointer 34, which is mounted on said extension and which is immovably secured in position by the nut 35.

The arrangement of said shoulder spaces the pointer suificiently from wheel 31 to thereby permit its free rotation manually.

A second pointer is provided which overlies the wheel 31 as shown in Fig. 4 and has a supporting arm 39 which projects from the upright element 36, the latter having a right angular supporting foot 37 secured to the upper end of standard 26, such as by the screw 38, for illustration.

The wheel 31 has an annular face 41 as shown in Fig. 4 which has marked thereon thirty-six divisions 42, which may be in different colors if desired. These divisions include six groups of numbers in various arrangements including the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. As each of the groups of six numbers have the particular numbers in V a different arrangement, it is apparent that there will-be a large number of possible combinations of numbers between 1 and 6, which will be indicated by the two pointers:

34 and 40 upon each manual turn of the roulette wheel. Figs. 8-11 illustrate a slight variation in the present game apparatus wherein there is provided a compact car.-

' rying case as shown in Figs; 10 and 11', which includes I 3 a pair of similarly shaped rectangular closure members 43' and with continuous side wall flanges 44 and 46 respectively.

Said cover elements 43 and 45 are hinged together in a conventional manner as at 47, and a spring may be employed in conjunction with the hinge for normally maintaining the two elements 43 and 45 in the open position shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Element 43 carries in one outer side wall the stationary latch pin 48, and the corresponding side wall 46 of the other element 45 has a latch plate 49 apertured at 50 and which is adapted to receive the pin 48 for maintaining said elements closed.

Plate 49 has projection 51 which extends through the wall 46 whereby the latch plate 49 may be manually flexed for disengaging plate 49 from pin 48 permitting opening of the container elements 43v and 45 in a well known conventional manner. It will be noted that plate 49' is supported by the oppositely projecting arms 49' which are anchored at their ends as at 50' to the side walls 46.

The carrying case is a conventional cigarette type carrying' case and has the elongated retainer plate 52 which is hinged as at 53 in alignment with the hinge 47 and which extends entirely across the interior of the case element 45 and has a reverse turned pointer 54 formed thereon.

The plate 52 has a transverse aperture through which is upwardly projected the bolt 55' which receives washer 56 and loosely journals the hub 57 of the roulette wheel 58 which has a plurality of spokes 59.

Wheel retaining pointer 60 is secured upon the end of bolt 55 by the set screw 61,. and is spaced from said Wheel to permit its free manual rotation.

Consequently, the two stationary pointers 54 and 60 cooperate to give two point indications upon the face 62 of wheel 58, which has formed thereon a plurality of numbered compartments 63, the same as above described with respect to Fig. 4. Here also there are six groups of six digits numbered 16, which are provided in a different order within each group.

The apparatus operates in conjunction with. the discs or men 14 and the game board 13 above described. It is contemplated that the game board 13. or a similar board made of a plastic material may be folded in any suitable fashion, or in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and positioned within one of the housing elements 43 or 45. Furthermore the thirty discs or men 14 may be also compactly stored within the carrying case.

The particular advantage of the game apparatus. shown in Figs. 8-11 resides in the easy portability of the same in the users pocket and permits playing in a limited area.

In operation the various men 14 are successively moved by each of the players in accordance with the indications of the roulette wheel so that each player moves his particular men from the adverse inner table over the boundary bar, through the adversarys outer table and across to the players own outer table, then over the bar into the players inner or home table. There the player in his turn progressively withdraws the men from his inner table or compartment, the first having all of his men withdrawn winning the game.

The full and complete rules for the game are generally well known and their detail is omitted from the present specification.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a slight variation of the construction of the roulette wheel shown in Figs. 4 and 5 which operates in conjunction with the present board 13 and the discs 14.

The roulette wheel in Figs. 12 and 13 includes base 64 and the upright standard 65 thereon with the transverse wheel mounting bolt 66 arranged towards the upper end ofsaid standard and extending therethrough.

Wheel 68 is loosely journaled upon. bolt 66 with spacer 67 interposed between saidv wheel and. said standard.

Bolt 66 terminates in a portion 69 of reduced diameter upon which is pressed the disc 70 for retaining the wheel 68 upon said bolt. Manually rotatable disc 72 with outwardly projecting pointer 73 is journaled upon the bolt portion 69 and is secured loosely thereon by the nut 70' threaded upon the bolt extension 71, which is of less diameter than the bolt portion 69.

Stationary pointer 75 overlies Wheel 68 and projects downwardly from element 76 which is at the upper end of pointer support 67. The latter has a right angular foot 78 secured to the top of the standard 65 by the set screw 79.

Referring to Fig. 12, the wheel 68 has a compartrnented face 80 formed by a plurality of radial lines extending from the center of said wheel. Additional compartments are formed by the circular line 81 upon the face 80.

Within the various compartments so provided there are positioned various indicia arranged in a plurality of concentric circles. For illustration, there is an outer circle of letters 82 and an adjacent circle of numbers 83. Inwardly thereof are a pair of concentric circles of letters 84 and 85, as shown in Fig. 12.

It is contemplated in Figs. 12 and 13 that the wheel 68 will be manually rotated in one direction and the disc '72 with its pointer 73 rotated in the opposite direction to thereby provide upon the stopping of the wheel and pointer 73, a pair of indicia for governing the respective movements of the discs 14.

For example, in playing the game above described, the following additional letter combinations may be employed for obtaining certain additional results as shown by the following schedule of letter combinations:

VM Two games win. HM One game win. H-H All men in.

M-] Four double sixes. L-P Win game.

S-l Four double four.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

A game apparatus comprising a hollow carrying case including a pair of cover elements, a hinge interconnecting one of their adjacent edges, an elongated plate hinged at one end to said cover hinge, the other end of said plate being reversely turned to form a pointer, an upright bolt projecting upwardly through said plate intermediate its ends, a roulette wheel loosely journaled upon said bolt above said plate in spaced relation, and having an annular face with compartmented indicia and movable adjacent said pointer, and a second stationary pointer secured at one end to the upper end of said bolt with the other end of said pointer spaced from and registerable with the face of said wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,710 Kightlinger Dec. 17, 1879 747,199 MacRae Dec. 15, 1903 976,492 Prickett Nov. 22, 1910 1,343,984 Ramsey June 22, 1920 1,553,655 Wadel Sept. 15, 1925 1,632,673 Paulus June 14, 1927 1,883,651 Ensley Oct. 18, 1932 2,006,176 Quine June 25, 1935 2,077,124 Miller et al. Apr. 13, 1937 2,147,900 Houseknecht Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 372,312 Germany Apr. 3, 1923 564,392 France Dec. 28, 1923 278,137 Great Britain Oct. 6. 1927 

